I first encountered ecological agriculture around 2016. Through my work in nature education, I naturally crossed paths with practitioners in the field, learning that many were cultivating the land to produce healthier food, foster sustainable environments, and build a better way of life. Back then, I was tending flowers and…
I. Weather-Dependent Small Farmers and Mothers Seeking to Escape the Motherhood Penalty Affected by climate conditions, the survival rate for seedlings planted in late summer this year was remarkably low. Consequently, Hu Xuemei’s farm on the outskirts of Chengdu could not supply any vegetables for delivery over the past few…
Recently, Food Talk was delighted to receive the Annual Podcast Award in the Public Welfare and Environmental Protection category at the 3rd CPA Chinese Podcast Festival. This win sparked a serendipitous encounter. On 23 November, Food Talk host Xiaojing ran into fellow award-winner and old friend Yu Jiangang at the…
Foodthink says As delivery riders face exploitation and gruelling workloads, merchants struggle with exorbitant commissions, and consumers are served food without proper health safeguards, a growing number of people have begun to critique and scrutinise platform enterprises. Beyond mere criticism, however, can we envision an alternative platform model? What would…
Foodthink Says This year is on track to be the hottest on record. Yet at the recently concluded twenty-ninth UN Climate Change Conference, nations continued to dispute funding allocations, repeatedly bringing negotiations to a standstill. The climate finance gap for agriculture, in particular, remains staggering. So, when we talk about…
Foodthink Says What kind of agricultural training do farmers actually need? After nearly twenty years working in rural communities across the country, Lao Liu (Huang Guoliang) has some thoughts on the matter. In his view, understanding agricultural training begins with answering a more fundamental question: what kind of knowledge framework…
“The American system prides itself on being a highly successful culture because we keep more people locked up than we have farmers. To feel smug about such a statistic is utterly contemptible.” Five years on, I still vividly recall the shock I felt when I first read Joel Salatin’s *Everything…
It is autumn harvest season once again, and whether crop stalks should be burnt has once more become a widely debated social issue. In October, open and uncontrolled burning of crop residue showed a rising trend across several areas in Hunan province, worsening air pollution in some districts. As a…
I. The Ennobling Bean Porridge In a previous article, I mentioned coarse wheat grain, and this time I shall turn to bean soup. These two everyday dishes are steeped in significance; preparing them properly requires a well-ordered kitchen, a tended hearth, and a serious approach. In the Tang dynasty, Yan…
Sichuan Pepper Trees Are Moving Uphill In 2004, I was conducting field research in a village in Mao County, Sichuan. A local resident remarked, “Sichuan pepper trees are moving up the mountains.” He meant that these trees once thrived in the river valleys, but conditions have changed. They now grow…
